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Topic: Embarrassing but scary topic (TMI) (Read 959 times)

About 3 weeks ago, I had what I thought the smell of metal when I had a bowel movement. It was scary because I immediately knew that there had to blood in my stool, so I looked but saw nothing. Anyway, it went away, but ever since 2 days ago it returned. I noticed that it doesn't smell "right" - like it did 3 weeks ago and it's not strong.

I am freaking out thinking that blood is in my stool and that it's colon cancer, or some other deadly disease. I'm only 20 years old, but I'm thinking that I must be some medical anomaly and I'm the one person it happens to that's younger.

I am not having any other problems at all, other than that weird smell. My stools look completely normal, etc. In fact, I haven't had abdominal pain for a few weeks either come to think of it - and I had that pain for over 2 years. Again, sorry TMI, but I am freaking out...has this happened to anyone else and if so what was it?

Blood in the stool wouldn't have an odor (TMI, but you have to hear me out, we are here to help each other) I have hemorrhoids that will sometime thrombose so bad and then "explode". The whole toilet will be filled with blood. There IS no odor from the blood, and there's a lot of it. What WILL change the odor of your stool is the food you eat. Are you eating anything different, MORE of something than usual? Taking a new medication, herb or vitamin? Even excess consumption of garlic can do that.

I'm not taking any vitamins or anything like that. I went to the bathroom again today and the smell wasn't really present but I flushed too soon to look and only got a glimpse of it. It looked normal to me, but I thought that I saw a different color. I of course thought, maybe that was blood and didn't catch it. It didn't look like it, but of course I am trying to see something that I think is there.

Could this be colon cancer that's higher up in the bowel? My appetite is normal, I'm not losing weight, etc. But, what worries me is that I googled colon cancer in 20 year old patients (I know, I know...bad idea) and of course I see these stories about how they had colon cancer and didn't even know it, no symptoms and was found by chance and then died a month later.

I worry because I will openly admit I have pretty bad eating habits, and I will mention again that I've had numerous abdominal x-rays and blood work done and I have seen the x-rays myself. I had one in October of 2011, and then my most recent one was in June of 2013. They both almost looked identical. I thought for sure that I had a tumor in the lower right side of my abdomen, but they both said it was compacted waste - along with the other doctors I have seen. I'm just terrified I'll be that one 20 year old that has colon cancer.

It REALLY doesn't sound like colon cancer. Google can turn a HANGNAIL into cancer (or MS)! You are only 20, bad eating habits wouldn't do anything to you just yet - maybe if you kept it up for the next 40 years, then MAYBE you'd have an increased chance, but that's about it (and/or if you have a close family member who had it)

The bad smell of a stool isn't even a symptom of colon cancer, you don't have ANY symptoms of it, why would you think you have it? (right...this question coming from someone who thought they had pilomotor seizure disorder, the 21'st person worldwide to ever have it) But talking to someone else I can see clearly and logically. Read your post again and make believe it is someone ELSE who wrote it, then think logically - would you say that is cancer?

I worry because I will openly admit I have pretty bad eating habits, and I will mention again that I've had numerous abdominal x-rays and blood work done and I have seen the x-rays myself. I had one in October of 2011, and then my most recent one was in June of 2013. They both almost looked identical. I thought for sure that I had a tumor in the lower right side of my abdomen, but they both said it was compacted waste - along with the other doctors I have seen. I'm just terrified I'll be that one 20 year old that has colon cancer.

Hi C, well, you worry because you have HA / Anxiety Disorder(s). And, as has been shown by history and our experience, it isn't that important about what we are actually, currently, worrying (freaking) about vs. what we are doing in our OVERALL daily habits and actions that can help us move down our healing path a little better.

What we notice, analyze and 'diagnose' as going on in our body is heavily skewed by our anxiety issues. Not much makes sense to our amped up minds and, then, our bodies manifest increased symptoms when we are hyper with worry trying to 'figure it all out'. Trust me, you ain't gonna figure it all out....I say kindly:) I gave up on that many years ago, after proverbially bashing my head against a brick wall desperately wanting ALL the answers for why I felt this or that or believed this or that or perceived this or that or why I even had damn HA / ADs in the first place! With anxiety issues, there is a tremendous amount of acceptance that has to embraced in order for us live well (much better) alongside our mental health challenges. Through acceptance there can come some insightful understanding, perhaps, of our anxious situations. But, trying to understand all of this sometimes wild boat ride (our anxiety) will keep us chasing our tails in a big 'ol circle...creating even more anxiety, inevitably.

When checked out medically (which it seems you have been), we have to learn to let go. Learn to let our bodies live and do what they are supposed to do. We have to learn how to live ALONGSIDE our mental health challenges. And, this we CAN do. Of course, it isn't a smooth trail to our lasting, viable healing path. What makes our path to some lasting peace pretty bumpy, at times, is a powerful intrusive thought process that can hound HA peeps. And, that is: "Holy Sh#t, I had better be super freakin' vigilant about my health OR ELSE!". "I just know I'm gonna be THE ONE who dies before their time!". "I know I read about other folks, here, and their struggles with HA / AD, but I really feel my case is just a bit different, somehow / someway", "How can I really move forward with my life, and be all I can be, when I just know I've got something sinister lurking in my body just waiting to pounce!", "What I feel is REAL - damnit....I'm not making this crap up - believe me!"

Good grief.....this is some driving, strong thinking patterns! No wonder we want to run off to the Doc and have MORE check-ups and have MORE med testing. We just want to not die and miss out on life and miss out on being there for our loved ones. But, keep in mind, while HA has us in a cycle of fear and while HA has us repeating past patterns of actions and habits, which have led to little overall relief, we ARE missing out on life, so to speak. We are missing out on living WELL despite having our anxiety issues. And, again, we CAN live well alongside our challenges. This has been shown too many times for us to believe that lasting solace is not available for each of us. It is:) Easy? No. Doable to our own extents of being able to embrace acceptance and embrace the actions, habits and mindsets that can move us towards our healing path? YES:)

All sorts of foods can cause your urine/poop to smell and if you're like most people you probably also pee when you poop so it could be your urine which can smell funny escarole, asparagus, etc. If you don't believe me, hang around my bathroom about an hour after i eat asparagus - you'll be sure there is a skunk loose somewhere in the house - lol

Other causes of bathroom smells are the products you use to clean your bathroom like the bleach tablets people put into their toilets. You may also have hard water which is causing the smell.

Well for the past 3 days my stool has been a light shade of brown. I am now worried that it is possibly pancreatic cancer or a liver issue. It's not pale or clay colored, but it is a somewhat lighter brown - not really really light, but at least a little lighter than normal.

I have the pain in the middle of my stomach right above my belly button, and in my belly button. I am scared that it's pancreatic cancer from my horrid eating habits, etc. And when I went tonight, I thought I saw blood, but I looked closer and closer I don't think any blood was there - and when I wiped no blood was there. I am just at my wits end with this.

If there was blood in your stool then you stool would most likely be reddish or maroon especially if you had enough blood that you had a metallic smell. I've never heard of anyone say that they smelled metal after a bowel movement so it is probably something in your bathroom (cleaner, disinfectant, air freshener, etc.)

Well as I said before, I am terrified that I have pancreatic cancer now. I still have the intermittent pain in the middle of my abdomen, and sometimes right below my sternum, and to the left and right of that as well. I was having some sharp pains under my left rib cage a while back and it still comes and goes.

I think that is what was causing my mid and lower back pain too. I have the abdominal pain, and the back pain in the same spot as it is in the front - and it generally stays in one spot.

I just ate dinner and I now have the aching right in my navel. I could literally draw a circle around the spot where it is - it is almost right in the middle of my stomach.

What is going on? I have had this pain for so long and it isn't getting any better...I am losing my mind. I have been to different doctors, and they all say nothing is wrong. Something has to wrong because this has been occurring for over 1 year and it only seems to be getting worse.

I know that I must have pancreatic cancer. I have the back pain in the same spot as where the pancreas is located, and the abdominal pain. I am beginning to become depressed.

Well I had a bowel movement and it was a darker brown again, but I would like to know what I can do about this.

I want to have a CT scan once and for all but my doctor won't order me one. Which I find quite interesting, because my older sister had abdominal pain once and they ordered her an ultrasound AND a CT scan immediately and nothing was wrong.

Well I have been constantly seeing doctors and not one of them will order me a CT scan. I actually just read an article about a 23 year old woman who had pancreatic cancer. The abdominal pain is gone now, and the back pain has almost disappeared...so how do I get a CT scan? Should I just ask (or even demand one)?

Your pancreas is not by your belly button it up more towards your stomach in the middle so that probably wouldn't give you pain under your left rib cage. Are you sure that the pain you're feeling isn't muscular? Maybe you strained one of your abdominal muscles.